[...]... September 2002 18 THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF S&T IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT vide the backdrop for this report on the role of S&T in foreign assistance Maintaining and strengthening the contributions of the science, engineering, and medical capabilities of the United States to programs administered by USAID are the themes of the report These contributions result in improved selection of assistance interventions,... rigorous evaluations of the effectiveness of interventions, and broader applications of S&T SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AS A BROAD PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPMENT The interim report3 of this study released in October 2004 defined the term science and technology” (S&T) as used throughout the study to include the natural sciences, engineering, technology, the health sciences, and the economic and social sciences This... PREFACE of the programs It was important, of course, to consider these programs within the context of the host country’s priorities, related activities of other donors, and activities of other U.S government departments and agencies The reports prepared following the visits can be obtained from the public access file of the NRC by contacting pkoshel@nas.edu Another important source of information was the. .. intellectuals, and activists of dozens of countries in continuing, constructive dialogues and in concrete projects designed to enhance the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people S&T are often the keystones for successful projects The shared political and economic dividends from these activities can be enormous Maintaining and strengthening the contributions of the science, engineering, and medical... strengths of the United States in developing program strategies and in designing, implementing, and evaluating projects Many USAID staff members and partners at headquarters and in the field assisted the committee We especially appreciated the insights offered by Andrew Natsios, the former Administrator, who clearly recognizes the need to strengthen the use of science and technology in the agency’s development. .. engineering education From the vantage point of developing countries, S&T should involve interconnected national and international systems of activities that encourage the acquisition and generation of important knowledge and the application of this knowledge to improve the quality of life and the security of populations Thus, S&T are fundamental building blocks for development In the context of U.S foreign assistance,... adequately within the constraints of time and funds available for this study: for PREFACE xi example, the significance of S&T in reconstruction efforts supported by USAID and other donors in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war-torn areas was not addressed The roles of international organizations, development banks, and other bilateral donors in supporting S&T-related activities and coordination of their activities... describing the context for the role of S&T in foreign assistance, drawing on the interim report and on other observations during the course of the study Chapter 2 discusses the five problem areas selected for special attention The conclusions and recommendations of the report are then set forth in three chapters Chapter 3 presents suggestions as to USAID’s role in strengthening the capacity of developing countries... any other international endeavor, provides opportunities for the U.S government and its partners to join on a continuing basis with political and economic leaders, intellectuals, and activists of dozens of countries in constructive dialogues and in concrete projects designed to enhance the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people S&T are often the keystones for successful projects and therefore... Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution Glenn Schweitzer and Pat Koshel provided able support for the entire study effort and for the report preparation The committee was also assisted by a number of other staff members of the NRC including Laura Holliday and Sara Gray Zainep Mahmoud, an Anderson Intern, and Suzanne Goh and Eric Bone, . D.C. www.nap.edu THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AN IMPERATIVE FOR THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THE. from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Insti- tute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible